Prior methods of loading and unloading open-top railroad cars, or gondolas as they are called, have included positioning large cranes adjacent the railroad tracks where the gondola will be positioned. From this location, the crane may remove railroad track materials from the gondola and place them along side the railroad, or alternatively may make handle spent materials which are positioned along side the railroad and place them inside the gondola. More recent designs have utilized backhoes which are positioned along the upper portions of the gondola and utilize the boom of the backhoe to move the backhoe along the upper portion of the gondola. This system can be dangerous due to shifting weight of the backhoe and potential tipping issues which may result in damage to the backhoe and injuries to the operator. Other systems utilize a grasping claw to grasp a sidewall of the gondola and move the gondola on to or down from the upper portion of the gondola. Various systems require remote operation as a means of alleviating danger to an operator who would otherwise be inside a cab of the backhoe or other such loading vehicle.
Even further, some prior art systems utilize a rail structure which must be connected to the upper edges of the gondola. The loading vehicle may then be positioned on the rail structure allowing movement of the loading vehicle and boom relative to the gondola. These systems are difficult to use for various reasons. Some reasons are related to safety and potential hazards in operation. Others are inefficient with respect to time and therefore cost too much in wasted labor and equipment rental time to operate efficiently.
A device is needed to overcome these and other deficiencies allowing faster, safer, and more efficient means of loading and unloading gondola cars during railroad maintenance procedures while allowing transfer of the loading vehicle from gondola to adjacent gondola easily and efficiently.